GZ.JR

Gustavo Zermeño Jr. mixed his love for community and art by first offering to paint murals on local businesses around his home in Venice, California. Soon his larger-than-life portraits of sports heroes, celebrities and iconic musicians done in acrylic and aerosol peered at passersby from walls far beyond his neighborhood. This led to collaborations with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rams, UCLA and Nike, among others, while working with nonprofits and underserved populations to uplift and inspire the next generation of artists. Zermeño has been featured in local and national media and created a social media buzz with his hyper-realistic painted cutouts, left in unlikely places—a practice he loved for its surprise factor. His body of work has grown to include sculptures and stylized portraits on canvas and paper. He continues to be inspired by Los Angeles, its sports culture, music, and the landscape itself.